Improved cutting tool and insert therefor

Abstract: A cutting tool and an insert for use in the cutting tool. The insert has a constant angle maintained along the entire clearance face.

Description: The present invention relates to a cutting tool according to the preamble part of claim 1 and to an indexable cutting insert according to the preamble part of claim 8. Such a cutting tool and such an insert are known from US-A-4 618 296, respectively. Ball nose end mills are known which can perform omnidirectional cutting and contouring of irregular shapes on work-pieces. Such tools feature cutting edges integrally formed with the cutter body or cemented carbide cutting elements brazed onto the cutter body. Such designs require considerable manufacturing effort. The cutting edges can be reground or sharpened only with considerable difficulty and with a suitable grinding machine. After regrinding, a loss of diametrical size occurs, necessitating careful machine adjustments when returning the reground tool to service. Tools with integrally formed cutting blades are of a single material and, therefore, are limited to use on certain narrow categories of workpiece materials. A brazed tool is known from US-A-4 132 493. US-A-4 175 896 discloses a ball nose end mill having indexable cutting inserts. US-A-4 618 296 discloses a ball nose end mill and inserts therefor. The inserts have equilateral polygonal shapes and have a clearance face which varies around the insert in order to provide clearance during radial cutting. At least two cutting inserts are provided to effect arcuate cuts during radial cutting. The clearance angle measured at the cutting edge varies around the insert. EP-A-0 462 954 discloses a ball end mill, and throwaway inserts for such mills. A main insert is of triangular shape. Rearward of its cutting edges as well as around the corner arcs of the insert beveled faces of a substantially constant width are provided. The clearance angle, defined by said beveled faces, is varying along the perimeter of the insert. It is a task of the invention to provide an improved cutting tool as well as an indexable cutting insert for such cutting tools, allowing the formation of arcuate cuts of substantially uniform radius when using only one insert. Said task can be achieved with the features contained in independent claims 1 and 8. The cutting insert has an upwardly sloping convex first major face with a constant clearance angle maintained along the entire clearance face of the insert. The clearance face is formed along the first major surface which is uniform along the entire perimeter of the insert. The clearance angle is maintained constant around the clearance face relative to a line drawn through the center of the insert normal to the second major face and over the first major face parallel to the second major face. The same constant angle is maintained at any point along any of the clearance faces of the insert, because the first major faces upwardly convex in shape and causes the constant clearance face angle to wrap around the corner radius of the insert. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the depending claims. An embodiment of the invention will be described with the help of the drawings. In the drawings is: Fig. 1, a detailed sectional view of the cutting end of a cutting tool with indexable cutting inserts, Fig. 2, a top perspective view of one of the cutting inserts, Fig. 3, a side view of the cutting insert, Fig. 4, a side view of the insert taken along line 4-4, and Fig. 5, a detail of the insert showing the edge profile taken along line 5-5 in Figure 4, detailing the clearance angle. Turning now to the Figures, wherein like numerals refer to like structures, cutting tool 10, which is shown as a ball nose end mill, has a cylindrical shank 12 and a spherical cutting end 14 integral to one end of the shank. The tool is rotatable about a longitudinal axis 50 to allow the tool to be rotated to generate an arcuate cut of substantially uniform radius. The spherical cutting end has at least one, and preferably a plurality of indexable inserts 16 mounted in lay down fashion in mounting cavities 46. The inserts are polygonal in shape, and although it is contemplated that any polygonal shape can be used, it is preferred that the polygon be equilateral in form. The shape shown in the drawings is an equilateral triangular, but any polygonal shape can be made. Each insert has first major polygonal face 18 and second polygonal major face 20 oriented opposite each other and separated by sidewall 21 which is composed of flank surfaces 22. Each flank surface is defined by the portion of the sidewall which extends from one corner 24 to the adjacent corner 25 of the insert. Two flank surfaces intersect at each corner of the polygonal shape insert. The flank surfaces may be arcuate or compound, i.e., have several intersecting surfaces, but it is preferred that each flank surface is planar in shape. The first major face has upwardly sloping convex portions 26 which intersect each flank surface to form an arcuate cutting edge 28 at each side of the insert. The upwardly sloping convex portion 26 forms the clearance face 30 of the insert. The clearance face has a constant clearance angle around the entire clearance face of the insert. The clearance angle is measured against a line 34 which is drawn over the first major face parallel to the second major face of the insert. The clearance angle may be any constant angle from about 5 to about 25 degrees, and preferably is a constant 18 degrees around the clearance face. As can be seen in Figure 2, where the clearance faces meet at each corner of the insert, it appears as if a depression 35 is formed. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this seeming depression is actually the continuation of the constant clearance faces around the corner radius of the insert, and that at any point along any of the clearance faces of the insert, the same constant angle is maintained. The depression is formed because the first major face is upwardly convex in shape and causes the constant clearance face angle to wrap around the corner radius of the insert. Those skilled in the art will recognize that if the first major polygonal face were planar, no seeming depression would occur at the corner radius of the insert. The insert may have a centrally located aperture 38 which extends through the body of the insert to allow the insert to be mounted in the mounting cavities is a manner to be hereinafter described. The aperture is counterbored so that the fastener is flush with the surface of the insert. At the intersection of the second major face and the flanks, an angle is formed. The angle  is 90 degrees or larger, so that it forms a neutral to positive angle. Preferably, angle  is obtuse. The obtuse angle forms a positive angle, and may be about 30 degrees. Rake edges 42 are formed at the intersection of the second major face and the flanks, and those skilled in the art recognize they may or may not be identical, depending upon the form the polygon takes. It is preferred that the polygon be equilateral, and the rake edges are therefore identical. Turning to Figure 1, the mounting cavities have a threaded cavity 56 in the floor 58 of the cavity 46 which is preferably normal to the floor and accepts mounting means 52, depicted as a screw which passes through the insert to securely mount the insert in place. Although it is contemplated that this invention utilizes at least one cutting insert, it is preferred that two or more inserts be used. However, the number of inserts used depends upon the size of the inserts, as well as the desired radius of the arcuate profile to be machined in a work piece by the tool of the invention. In the case of a second insert, there is provided a mounting cavity positioned on the cutting end with respect to the first cavity such that the second insert placed in lay down fashion presents an active arcuate cutting edge whose cutting zone partially overlaps that of the first insert's cutting edge substantially in a common plane passing through the shank axis, thereby allowing the cutting tool to generate an arcuate cut of substantially uniform radius. Additionally, those skilled in the art recognize that peripheral inserts (not shown) could be mounted along a portion of the cylindrical shank to extend the depth of the cut taken by the disclosed cutting tool. At least one chip gullet 60 is provided in the cutting tool which intersects at least one mounting cavity when there is only one insert in the cutting end of the tool, and preferably all the mounting cavities when multiple inserts are used, to generate the arcuate cut such that the chips formed during cutting are directed by the flank surfaces into the chip gullet and away from the cutting action. The specific embodiments of this invention have been described for the sake of example only.

Claims: A cutting tool, comprising: a cylindrical shank (12) terminating in an spherical cutting end (14), the cutting end including at least one indexable cutting insert (16) comprising first (18) and second (20) polygonal major faces, flank surfaces (22) forming the sides of the polygon with two of the flank surfaces intersecting at each corner (24,25) thereof, the first major face (18) including upwardly sloping convex portions (26) intersecting each flank surface (22) to form arcuate cutting edges (28) along each side of the polygon, said convex portions (26) including corresponding clearance face portions (30) extending along said first major face (18) rearwardly from each of said cutting edges (28), said second major face (20) intersecting each flank surface (22) at an angle of at least 90 degrees forming rake edges (42), at least one mounting cavity (46) shaped for respective receipt in lay-down fashion of the indexable cutting insert (16), and means mounting the indexable cutting insert respectively in the mounting cavity, the cavity oriented such that an active arcuate cutting edge (28) of the insert (16) placed in lay-down fashion in the cavity will extend radially outwardly from a corner arc of the insert passing through a longitudinal axis (50) of the shank (12), characterized in that said clearance face portions (30) are continued with a constant clearance angle  around the corner arcs of the insert (16) such that at any point along any of the clearance faces and around the entire insert the same constant clearance angle  is maintained, said clearance angle being measured between said clearance faces and a line drawn through the center of the insert (16) normal to the second major face (20) and over the first major face (18) parallel to the second major face (20). Cutting tool as in claim 1, characterized by a second mounting cavity positioned on the cutting end with respect to the first cavity such that a second insert (16) placed in lay-down fashion therein presents an active arcuate cutting edge partially overlapping the first inserts cutting edge substantially in a common plane passing through the shank axis (50) thereby enabling the cutting tool to generate an arcuate cut of substantially uniform radius. Cutting tool as in claim 1, characterized by at least one chip gullet (60) respectively intersecting the mounting cavity (46) such that chips formed by the arcuate cutting edges are directed by the flank surfaces (22) into the chip gullet (60). Cutting tool as in claim 1, characterized in that each rake edge (42) forms an angle Φ with resepct to an imaginary plane drawn from the cutting edge (28) to a center point on the spherical cutter's rotational axis. Cutting tool of claim 1, characterized in that said constant clearance angle is between about 5 degrees to 25 degrees, preferably at about 18 degrees. Cutting tool of claim 1, characterized in that each flank surface (22) is planar. Cutting tool as in claim 1, characterized in that said rake edges (42) have an obtuse angle, preferably a 30 degree positive angle. An indexable cutting insert (16) for a cutting tool (10), comprising: first (18) and second (20) polygonal major faces, flank surfaces (22) forming the sides of the polygon with two of the flank surfaces intersecting at each corner (24,25) thereof, the first major face (18) including upwardly sloping convex portions (26) intersecting each flank surface to form arcuate cutting edges (28) along each side of the polygon, said convex portions (26) including corresponding clearance face portions extending along said first major face rearwardly from each of said cutting edges (28), said second major face (20) intersecting each flank (22) at an angle of at least 90 degrees forming rake edges (42), characterized in that said clearance face portions (30) are continued with a constant clearance angle  around the corner arcs of the insert (16) such that at any point along any of the clearance faces and around the entire insert the same constant clearance angle  is maintained, said clearance angle being measured between said clearance faces and a line drawn through the center of the insert (16) normal to the second major face (20) and over the first major face (18) parallel to the second major face (20). Indexable cutting insert as in claim 8, characterized in that said first and second polygonal major faces (18,20) are equilateral and have identical flank surfaces (22). Indexable cutting insert as in claim 8, characterized in that said arcuate cutting edges (28) are identical. Indexable cutting insert as in claim 8, characterized in that said clearance face (30) has an angle of from about 5 degrees to 25 degreees, preferably of about 18 degrees. Indexable cutting insert as in claim 8, characterized in that the angle formed by the intersection of the second major face (20) and the flank surface (22) is obtuse, preferably is a 30 degree positive angle. Indexable cutting insert of claim 8, characterized in that said rake angles are identical. Indexable cutting insert of claim 8, characterized by a centrally located aperture (38) extending through the insert (16) and normal to the first and second major faces (18,20).

Inventors: CHARRON MIKE, POWELL FOYE, REITERMAN LEE, CHARRON, MIKE, POWELL, FOYE, REITERMAN, LEE
Applicants: VALENITE INC, VALENITE INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B23C5
IPC codes: B23C5, B23B27